Keynote Speakers

Professor Spyros Spyrou
Athens University of Economics and Business, Greece

Spyros Spyrou, is a Professor of Finance at the Department of Accounting & Finance, Athens University of Economics & Business (AUEB). He is currently the Director of the MSc in Accounting and Finance Programmes, and in the past he has served as a member of the University Senate, as a member of the Deanery, as a Deputy Rector, as the Head of the Department of Accounting & Finance, at the Managing Committee for various Postgraduate courses (MSc in Shipping, Finance, & Management, MBA International, MSc in Accounting & Finance), and as the Erasmus Program coordinator for the Department of Accounting & Finance. In previous administrative posts he has served as the Admissions Tutor for Postgraduate Courses and member of the IT Committee at the University of Durham (Department of Economics & Finance, 1999-2001) and MA Programme Leader and Postgraduate Admissions Committee at Middlesex University Business School (School of Economics) (1997-1999). He has been appointed as a Lecturer at Athens University of Economics & Business in 2001. Before that he was a Lecturer at the University of Durham (UK, 1999-2001) and Middlesex University Business School (UK, 1997-1999). He holds a PhD in Finance from Brunel University (UK) in 1997, an MSc in Business Finance from Brunel University (1993), and a BSc in Economics from the National & Kapodistrian University of Athens (1990).

His research interests are in the area of asset pricing and investor behaviour. He has published in refereed academic journals such as: Journal of Banking & Finance, Journal of Financial Stability, Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, European Financial Management, Journal of Futures Markets, International Review of Financial Analysis, The Manchester School, among others. Research papers have also been presented in numerous international conferences such as the Financial Engineering & Banking Society, European Finance Association, European Financial Management Association, Multinational Finance Society, Money Macro and Finance, British Accounting Association, etc. He is also the author of two books ("Money & Capital Markets" (LA: Greek) and "Introduction to Behavioural Finance" (LA: Greek)), and has published articles in professional journals and newspapers.

His teaching portfolio includes a large number of postgraduate modules (Money & Capital Markets, Financial Engineering, Security Investment Analysis, Portfolio Management, Behavioral Finance, Risk Management & Derivatives) and undergraduate modules (Money & Capital Markets, Investments, Security Valuation and Portfolio Management, International Finance, Derivative Markets), taught at the University of Durham, at Middlesex University Business School, and at Athens University of Economics & Business.

Professor Atour Taghipour
University of Le Havre in France, France

Atour Taghipour is a professor and the head of an international management master program at the University of Le Havre in France. He holds a PhD in Industrial Engineering from the Polytechnic School of Montreal in Canada. He received two masters' degrees, one in Management, Logistics & Strategy and other in Industrial Engineering. He has more than ten years of experiences as a manager in automobile industries. He has published two books and many research papers in international journals. His areas of research are supply chain and operations management.

Professor Rajive Mohan Pant
National Institute of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj, Guwahati, India

Prof. Rajive Mohan Pant has been associated with professional teaching since 1986 and has taught HRM, Marketing Management and Economics at Post Graduate level in premier educational Institutions of India. Besides teaching, Prof. Pant is actively associated with Research activities and has completed many sponsored researches funded by agencies like McArthur Foundation, USA, Ministry of HRD (India), Indian Council for Social Science Research (ICSSR), and All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). Prof. Pant visited many Universities to deliver invited lectures in the country and abroad. He also offers consultancy on 'Behavioral aspects' to various organizations. Prof. Pant is Member of Scientific and Technical Advisory Group (STAG) of Ministry of Environment & Forest, Government of India and also Headed Working Group on ‘Shifting Cultivation’ constituted by NITI Ayog, the apex planning body of Government of India.
Besides teaching and research, he has vast experience of Academic Administration and has held important positions like Head of the Academic Department, Dean Students Affairs, Director IQAC & Dean Academic at University level and was also Member of the Board of Management, NERIST. Besides internal administrative responsibilities of the University, he has been a member of several state level committees.
He is presently heading National Institute of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj, Guwahati (Under MoRD, Govt. of India) as Director since 2nd Sept. 2014.
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